Bulldogs out to spoil Manly’s finals party

Canterbury’s NRL clash with Manly will be reminiscent of a high-school reunion for coach Des Hasler including a catch-up with a successful former friend and the chance to ruin a party.

The Bulldogs face Hasler’s former dual NRL premiership-winning side at ANZ Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

And while the 2012 and 2014 runners-up have struggled to forget their 36-0 hiding from the Sea Eagles in March, they are ready to try and shake up the seventh-place side’s run into September.

“They gave us a real kick up the backside last time we came up against them over at Brookvale,” Canterbury hooker Moses Mbye said.

“They punished us over there, we didn’t score a point.

“(But) we’ve got an opportunity to spoil their party.”

Manly have dropped their guard in recent weeks to lower-placed teams including a 52-22 thrashing by St George Illawarra last month and a 30-26 loss to wooden spoon contenders the Wests Tigers last weekend.

“They got touched up last week by the Tigers and they’re going to be jumping out of their skin for a good game against us,” Mbye said.

“I think we can do the same result as the Tigers did.”

The 2017 season marks the first time Hasler hasn’t taken a side into the NRL finals as head coach since 2004.

It’s also the first time Mbye has missed the NRL finals after making his first-grade debut with the club in 2014.

“We miss that feeling of winning, I certainly do,” the 24-year-old said.

“But the fortunate thing is we get another chance at it next year.

“It’s a bit more motivation to not feel this feeling again come 2018.”

Canterbury have a 7-14 record this season with games against Manly, Gold Coast and St George Illawarra remaining.

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